Rail-fastener



H. C. SICKMANN.

RAIL FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY27,1921.

Patented Sept. 6, 1921" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY C. SICKMANN, OF MABTHASVILLE, MISSOURI.

RAIL-FASTENER.

Application filed May 27,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY C. SICKMANN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Harthasville, in the county of Warren and State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Fasteners, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rail fasteners, and it comprises a platehaving a projection adapted to be seated in a recess in the top of arailroad tie and engage the base of the rail to form an interlockingjoint, the plate beyond the projection being inclined to engage the faceof the rail base.

In the present invention, I have provided a rail fastener having meansfor engaging the base of the rail, and a projection to be received in arecess formed in the tie. The fastener is provided with a pair ofoppositely arranged projections of different sizes adapted to beemployed for fastening arail to a tie between the joints, and to bereversed for fastening a rail at a joint where the thickness of the fishplate must be taken into consideration.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a rail fastener ofthis type of simple construction wherein the number of parts employed isreduced to a minimum and the fastener requires a minimum amount ofattention to keep itin proper condition.

A further object of the invention is to provide arail fastener which maybe readily applied and removed when asection of track is being laid ortaken up.

In the acompanying drawings, I have shown one embodiment of theinvention. In this showing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a railroad tie showing the inventionapplied,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the jointbetween two rails,

Fig. 3 is a similar view through a rail section. and,

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the fastener.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates a railroadtie of any desired construction. As shown, the tie may be provided withend recesses 2 to facilitate fastening the rail in position, and may befurther provided with cut-out portions 3, arranged intermediate theends. A rail 4 is adapted to be secured to the tie. the tie beingprovided with a recess 5, for the reception thereof. As shown, the sidewalls of the recess are inclined upwardly and in- Specifioation ofLetters Patent.

1921. Serial No. 472,945.

Wardly, as at 6. lVhen the rail is in position, the base 7 rests uponthe bottom of the recess 5, as shown. A fastening device. comprising aplate 8, is arranged on the face of the tie, the plate being providedwith an opening 9, adapted to register with an opening in the tie forthe reception of a bolt 10 or other suitable fastening means. As shown,the bolt is threaded for the reception of a nut 11. The fastening memberis provided with a projection 12, adapted to be received in the recessin the face of the tie, the projection being provided with an end wall13 arranged at an angle, substantially equal to the angle of the wall 6,the wall opposite the inclined wall 13 being substantially at rightangles to the body portion of the plate, as indicated at 14. IVhen thefastening device is in position (see Fig. 3), the wall 14 engages theside of the rail base and the wall 13 contacts with the wall 6, wherebyan interlocking joint or connection is provided and the rail maintainedin position. As shown. the plate extends beyond the projection and isprovided with an inclined surface 15 adapted to rest upon the top of thebase of the rail.

Referring to Fig. 2 of the drawings, when the fastening device is to beemployed at the junction of two rail sections, having fish plates 16arranged in contact with the web and the base of the rail, the fasteningdevice is reversed. As shown. a projection 17 is arranged on theopposite face of the fastener. substantially in alinement with theprojection 12. This projection is also provided with an inclined wall18, adapted to engage the wall 6, and isfurther provided with anoppositely arranged substantially vertical wall 19 which, as shown,extends inwardly from the outer face of the projection a greaterdistance than the wall 14 to allow for the thickness of the fish plate.Beyond the projection, the face of the plate is inclined as at 20, andis adapted to engage the portion of the fish plate arranged over thebase of the rail.

The operation of the device will be apparent. lVhen the fastener is tobe employed intermediate the ends of a rail section, the projections 12are arranged in the recess and the rail is placed in position with theend wall 14 of the projection in engagement with the base of the railand the inclined wall 6 of the recess in engagement with the inclinedwall 13 of the projection,

forming a substantially dove-tail connection to prevent displacement ofparts. When the tie to which the rail is to be fastened is arrangedadjacent the connection between the ends of two rail sections, the plateor fastener is reversed and the projection 1? arranged in the recess.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, andthatvarious changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a tie having a recess. said recess beingprovided with upwardly and inwardly inclined side walls, and a railsection having its base arranged in said recess, of a reversiblefastener comprising a plate adapted to be secured to the tie adjacentsaid recess, said plate being provided with oppositely disposed projections each of said projections being adapted to enter said recess andengage the base of the rail section to retain the rail section inposition, said projections being of similar shape but varying in size.

2. The combination with a tie having a recess, said recess beingprovided with upwardly and inwardly inclined side walls, and a railsection having its base arranged in said recess, of a. fastenercomprising a plate adapted to be secured to the tie ad jacent saidrecess, said plate being provided with oppositely disposed projectionsarranged intermediate its ends, one of said projections being extended agreater distance from the end of the plate than the other projection,said projections being provided with inclined walls adapted to contactwith the inclined side wall of the recess .to form an interlockingconnection, the opposite sides of the projections being adapted toengage the side of the rail base, said fastening plate beyond theprojection being provided with oppositely disposed faces arranged at anangle to contact with the base of the rail.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in. presence of two witnesses.

HENRY C. SICKMANN. lVitnesses:

LAWRENCE S. SICKMANN, GEORGE BORGES.

